New Reality
by Gnomeflame
Summary: After Leone wakes up in a strange new realm far different from her own after her death, she is contracted by a mysterious cult like organization to be there eyes and ears amongst their enemies, all the while she attempts to find her other fallen comrades who were forcefully brought into this strange land.
1. New Realities, Rough Introductions

Within the cold enclosure that was a simple square room made of cracked cobblestone, would be a stone chair. It was equally as cold as the room, however the unconscious Leone would be unaware of this face, being strapped to it by many iron link chains. She would wince a bit as she began to come to her senses, as the loud steps of someone's shoes echo throughout the complex, opening her eyes in confusion. "W-Wha…" she would look down to see she no longer had any bullet injuries, as she begins to breath heavily as she looks around, memories of what transpired before this rushing through her head. "I died…I died to the wounds I had sustained…" she looks around, wriggling in the chains as she notices that she can barely move in them, "So where am I now…this sure doesn't look like heaven, but I wasn't expecting hell either." She would sniff the air, smelling of ash and smoke as a voice would call from the hallway behind her, as she could only move her head so far to see that she is surrounded by these cobblestone walls on her front, left, and right.

"Oh don't be so crass…you're in neither or, in fact, this isn't even an afterlife" the voice called out, sounding pompous and conniving as she could hear a door creaking behind her, but no way to see who it is. "I can tell even from here that you are rather confused about the situation, however even death's greedy claws cannot keep talent away from me," the voice definitely male as she could feel a heavy presence behind her, grapping at the top of the stone chair above her head. Leone then would begin to think heavily about these words, had someone managed to save her from death before she bled out in the street? None of this made since to her, that piled on the man's snickering beginning to frustrate her as she begins to writhe in her bonds. Eventually she would be able to get a glimpse, it was a man wearing a very occult outfit, being a long darkened violet robing's with tattered rips along the bottom, exposing a pair of steel plated boots with spikes along the toes, as she began to scan up the figure, the robing's had golden lettering foreign to anything she had ever seen, as the man wore a hood over his head, a rather nasty looking skull like mask greeting her gaze as two yellow glowing dots were behind the empty eye sockets.

She would narrow her eyes at the figure, already assuming that this person had some rather nasty origins, "What are you going on about, if this isn't the afterlife, or the Capital, where am I" she would tug on her chains as she attempted to move, "and what's with the chains?!" She however would be completely silent as she sees what the figure presents to her, making her shiver slight as he eyes widen, "Lionelle…" she would see him hold her imperial arms with his clawed gauntlet, holding it in an almost teasing was as he then puts it back, "How do you have it…the Minister destroyed it!"

The robed man simply chuckled again, "Let's just say, things work a bit differently in this realm than your former, it was not too taxing to recreate this primitive device". She would grit her teeth at his words as she tried to deliver a punch, but only merely repeating the same futile task, "And that answers your former question, though I don't mean to bring insult, I bet it was very special in your last dominion".

He would then throw it on her lap as she narrows her eyes more, hoping that his answers would give her some form of clarity, "What exactly is going on! Stop toying with me and tell me everything you know, how close am I to the capital!?" Her aggression only made the man lean against the wall as he crossed his arms, staring at her with his yellow orbs as their intensity grows, making her lean back a bit and calm down, knowing she is in a bad situation of some kind.

"You see Leone, the reality you once called home, the lands you once helped fight for, the capital…they do not exist in our plane of existence." He would bring up his hand as he curls it into a fist, "My associates have watched over many realms, other realities, scouring for talents that we are in need of, Night Raid was a perfect choice indeed…most of you died young enough for you to be of any use to our grand cause." Her eyes went wide as the gravity of the situation kicked in, however the mention of the rest of Night Raid made her about to yell out before he answered her, "Out of the seven possible candidates we had brought into Sorvia, only you spawned close enough to our base of operations to be retrieved and detained". She began to clench her teeth as she stared at her teigu for a moment, remembering what she had said before her death about seeing them again, though she never thought it would be like this. "It is a good thing that you of all them who could have taken your place is here, your tracking abilities will come into play quite nicely."

She was then about to say something as she then gasps from feeling a syringe filled with an orange liquid was shoved into her neck, as her vision began to fade as the man began to wander off, "When you awaken again, you'll get your answers, as well as your mission." She then began to slip into unconsciousness as she was able to get out one good slur before it went into full effect.


	2. Dreams and Uncertainties

Leone would find herself along a dirt pathway through a green plain of seemingly endless hills of the grass that envelopes the area, however the path seems to lead on top of the tallest hill of the land, as seven figures would down upon her from the top. She would first raise her hands to deflect the sunlight that beamed down upon her with ferocity, using them as a shield as she looks up, as a shock of happiness appears on her face as she recognizes each of the figures, beginning to slowly make her way towards their direction. She would have her eyes scan each of them individually, her green lenses gleaming against the sunlight as she begins to walk faster towards them after she begins to call out each of their names, "Sheele…" she would then see that Sheele would smile towards her direction as she simply begins to increase her pace. "Bulat…Chelsea…Mine…" she would see Bulat flex his body out as he grins at her, Chelsea simply changes the position of her lollipop in her mouth as she waves, while Mine crossed her arms as she smiled upon her much like Sheele, as Leone now begins to run towards them. "Lubbock! Susanoo!" she began to bolt towards them as the two smiled upon her like the rest, as she ran the sun began to descend as she really carried her legs. "Tatsumi!" however this time she was not greeted by a comforted smile, as his eyes were closed as his arms were crossed behind his back, as even though she ran as fast as she could, her efforts seemed for not as she seemed to run along an endless path, the sun lowering as night approaches quickly.

She would begin to pant as she ran, even stumbling a bit as she could see the scenery in the distance begin to warp, the hill her friends were on now stretching out into the distance further and further away as she reached a hand out for them. "Wait! I am almost there guys!" before she could take any more steps, it was now pitch black as she began to fall as the setting changed on her, yelping out as she plummets into an ocean below, beginning to sink to the bottom as she tries her best to resurface, but only feels herself being pulled down by strong forces. She would continue to do so as she opened her eyes, holding her breath as she could see visions of memories she shared with all her friends as she descends slowly further and further down. She would then feel like she was suffocating as the waters around her would turn a deep crimson, as she would eventually open her mouth as she closes her eyes, reaching up towards the surface as she seemingly drowns.

She would continue to descend as she seems lifeless, before she suddenly plummets again as she falls through the night sky, opening her eyes as she regains consciousness only to yelp again as she looks down at a never ending abyss of black. She however would eventually land suddenly as she levitates slightly before hitting the ground, making her stand up as she begins to regain her balance, standing up as she sees a light in the distance, beginning to wander over towards it. Upon discovering it, she would see that it was Coro, blankly staring forward at her as she would cautiously begin to approach it, as she would then jump back as he juts his mouth open wide, two arms reaching out towards Leone as it makes her eyes go wide as she notices who they belong too, as she begins to back up, bumping into something cold as she freezes, feeing a warm liquid begin to drip along her shoulder and back as she looks up, seeing the decapitated head of Chelsea upon it as she turns around quickly, clenching her eyes tightly as she begins to run off, "Enough! I don't want to see any more of this!" She would then begin to run past as she can hear Lubbock falling as he yells out, hearing blades skewer him as he lands, as well as a lightning crack as she hears Mine scream out, as she would then trip over something as she lands face first into the ground, making her rise back to her knee's as she looks behind her to see the limp bodies of Bulat and Susanoo as her pupils shrink slight, the expression of being distraught upon her face as she feels a presence in front of her, hearing the snapping of bones and ripping and sloshing of loose flesh, as she begins to look forward slowly.

"I'm so glad to see you again, Oneesan" she would widen her eyes more as she couldn't help but tear up at these images, as she sees a crippled Tatsumi with ripped up arms stand before her, as if propped up by strings as he looks coldly at her. "I-I can't feel a thing Oneesan…why aren't we free yet…" she would begin to stand up as she would begin to see the morbid forms of her friends approaching her, Sheele dragging her upper torso along the floor, Bulat limping as his orifices leak poison, Chelsea's body walking towards her while holding her head, a fried Mine beginning to shamble forward, Lubbock having a series of blades sticking out of him, and Susanoo simply crawling lifelessly.

She would then hear the roar of a lion as she clenched her eyes, as suddenly as she opened them she would now see an empty white room, with her friends replaced with a lion instead, laying lifeless as a bullet wound is on its forehead, as she could smell the smoke from the gun that caused it, turning around slowly to be greeted by the Minister, his face all but gone as he still speaks with a blood curdle, "Time to wake up…" she would then look down to see that she had also been shot multiple times before falling over, landing on her back with a thump as she looks up at a void of nothing, before eventually closing her eyes as she drifts off peacefully.

Meanwhile she would find herself shooting her eyes open as she hears the sounds of iron clinking, leaning up hazily as she groans, being in a different room than before as she was sleeping on a thin layer of hay on the cold floors of a cell. "Wake up peach flesh! It's time for you to move!" said a rather authoritarian voice in a harsh tone, rubbing her eyes as she looks to see a rather bulky figure wearing a skull mask like the last man she met as she sighs, getting to her feet slowly as she pats herself off, wearing the attire from the night she died. "Gee, you sound about as charming as the last guy I met here" she would then hear the man open her cell door quickly as it slammed against the wall, grabbing her roughly by the arm as he drags her out, before pulling a massive battle axe off his back as he nudges her forward, "Move or die, peach flesh…" she then quickly regains her balance once more as she nods, "Alright alright! I'm moving…" she would then begin to walk forward as the man was behind her, keeping his axe out just in case she loses any incentive.

She would begin to have her eyes examine the area, taking note that its appearance is much like one of castles dungeon, as she could see rows and rows stretching far about with corresponding cells, as their seemed to be at least six levels of them as she looks up to see she is below four of them, sighing as she would then look down to see the first level, other guards much like the one pushing her around patrolling about. She would then look to her side as she would see someone behind their cell, being a rather odd looking fellow with a toned muscular body, his skin being red as he had an afro along with a squid like mustache as his tentacles would wave to her, pointing at her before pointing at one of his hands, as he then proceeds to take that same hand and grind it up against his cod piece as he laughs out, grinding against it as Leone simply averts her gaze looks towards the floor. "I'm quite sure this may possibly be hell, I didn't think I was that bad of a person honestly" the guard behind her slammed the end of his battle axe against the back of her head as she stumbled forward, gripping her head as she grits her teeth before being nudged forward again to walk, "Keep up with the smart talk, hell is a luxury resort here peach flesh." Leone would simply growl as she rubbed the back of her head, "Thought you were just escorting me to initiation, not bat your axe against me at every little thing that gets to you! And what's up with that insult? I've heard better insults from a pickpocketing child!" Meanwhile she could hear chuckling from a feminine voice on the opposite side of her, looking over to see another guard escorting another person towards this so called initiation.

Much was concealed about her, wearing a black leather mantle with three little feathers sticking from them as if they were spikes, along with what look like closed eyes on the front, as she had a massive cloak that wrapped around her like a robe made of what looked like raven feathers. She seemed very elven in nature, having very pale skin, pointy long ears, however she lacked any form of hair on her head, instead having a series of bolt like objects curving in a straight line along her forehead to the back of her head like a mohawk for masochists, as this also seemed to apply to her eyebrows, having three across each. However the most unique thing about her was her uncaring cold eyes, being completely black with yellow like rings surrounding her pupils that blended in with the blackness, wearing dark eye shadow as she had lines run down her face towards the sides of her chin, as well as a lines above her eyes leading towards her ears, her lips about as black as the lines and eyes were.

"Aye! What's so funny to you over there miss feathers!" Leone would simply get the back of her head slapped against the end of the axe again as she lets out a yelp, the elf simply smirking as she now examines her, not replying back to her as Leone simply groans in annoyance, "Last time peach flesh! I'm having it up to here with you!" the guard behind her grunted out. Leone kept silent for now as she looked around, noticing that it seemed almost everyone around here was almost entirely different from the other, as she assumed the guards were the same. However she would jump as a hand came bursting out of a cell next to her, barely escaping its grasp as a rat like man stood behind it, trying to claw at her from behind his cell, "Fresh meat! I need fresh meat!" she would simply begin to walk again as the guard slammed against the man's cell before continuing on, noting that the second floor eventually has the two pathways meet up as she now walks alongside the raven cloaked elf, trying not to look at her while on the other side of the spectrum, the elf still examined her before smirking again, looking forward as he eyes seem to have the constant expression of uncaring boredom despite her small smile, Leone looking over for a moment to grasp her rather creepy vibe.

The two would eventually be greeted by a pair of iron doors paired together as they shove Leone and the Elf through the doors before quickly shutting them and locking them in, as the two would be greeted with a rows of tables, as various men and women of different races sit with meals on trays, mostly composed of simple rice, as the line for the stretches for a fair bit. However meanwhile Leone would turn her head to see several bloodied and beaten people as she winces before narrowing her eyes slightly, noticing a rather burly shark like man approach the two, "Why hello pretty ladi-" he examined the elf a bit more before focusing his attention to Leone, "Lady, would you be a dear and fill up a new bowl for me, I would be devastated if I had to ruin such a pretty face in a place where it's such an oh so rare commodity…"

"Then I assume you're the scum that did that over there, too lazy to get in line yourself? I think I'll maybe get you a bowl…" he would smirk as he was about to say something smart, before he then feels Leone deliver a swift blow to his face with her fist, "Just to make you choke on it!" she would grin, even without Lionelle she always loved beating the snot out of baddies, however she would notice she barely dented the man, not even a stumble backwards or making his face turn, her fist just dead straight in his face, as she has her eyes blink a bit as she pulls her fist back to reveal that she had only made her own hand red from the punch, making the burly hulk laugh out in hysterics, "I'll admit! You have more balls than any man I've seen in this joint! But at the end of the day…your still just a woman I dwarf" he was about to deliver his own punch as Leone was getting ready to block as suddenly the Elf would walk nonchalantly pass him, as he freezes for a moment.

The elf would simply whistle to herself as the action made her the center of attention of the mess hall now, as suddenly the shark like man would begin to wail as he would hold his head in pain, beginning to thrash around in agony as Leone could see the man sustaining several scratch like marks over his skin, making him cry out as he swats at the air "What is this!?" The Elf meanwhile continued her whistling as if nothing happened, making some of the people line move off to the side as one person actually offered her his bowl, taking it from his hands without even batting an eye towards him as she makes her way to the front of the line, screams of agony from the man in the background as she stares at the chef, who was just as frightened of her as everyone else, even behind his safety glass as she taps on the counter. "I would like this commodity called "rice" you serve in this establishment." She said this rather coldly as the chef nodded, quickly scooping up some rice and he plops it into her bowl, as she then nods towards him, "Thank you, may your days be long lasting" she would then walk off as she begins her way towards one of the tables, everyone who was on it now scattering after seeing what she did to the biggest bruiser in the room, who was still flopping around like a big fish as more and more scratch marks began to cover his body, curling up in a ball, "Oh gods make it stop!" he would cry out, meanwhile the Elf would just eat her rice, chewing on it for a bit as she shrugs, "This'll do."

Meanwhile Leone just stared at the scenario agape, she had seen some weird abilities in her days, but this elf was something else, as she began to make her way towards her, sitting across from her as she clasps her hands, the Elf continuing to eat the rice as she then eventually acknowledges her, "I am surprised that you decided to sit near me new resurrectee, it is not every day one wishes to join me during meals." Leone would simply smirk at her, "Well first off, I wanted to tell you how much of a buzzkill you are, and secondly I was hoping you had any clue as to what's going on!" she slams her fist against the table as the Elf sighs as she places her bowl down, passing the rest of it over to Leone, seeming to have barely eaten any of it. "Well first I believe I should introduce my title, I am Ms. Feathers, on a quest to be your personal wealth of information" she replied rather sarcastically, as she would stare at Leone with her semi ring eyes, looking rather uninterested.

Leone would laugh a bit at that one, making the Elf raise an eyebrow in curiosity as Leone then points to her, "I wasn't expecting you to be funny, I'll give you that." She would however then gain a serious expression, "But honestly, I need some real answers to what's exactly going on here." The Elf would smirk at her, "Since you humor me, I suppose I shall enlighten you as to what is going on here, you see I have been here for a good five days after my resurrection." Leone would then get in a relaxed position as she began to chow down on the rice as she listened to the elf, placing her feet on the table, "You see, it is much like how the man Gorrian introduced most of us, we died in our realms and now were pulled from are supposed next destination to here, living a second life to bring forth the duties and service towards this cult of sorts."

"You don't sound very sure of what this all truly is" Leone would remark as she easily finished the measly bowl of rice, the Elf nodding. "Indeed I don't, much like you, he talked to me before I was knocked out and sent here, and from what I can tell each of these levels is ranked based on how they value you. I am surprised to see that someone like you who has only been in this realm for a day has been bumped to the second floor instead of going to the top floor like the rest of the newer resurrectee's, I suppose he has big plans for you."

Leone then was about to follow that up before a voice echoed throughout the entire complex with booming power, "Ascended! Gather forth and march towards the training grounds! Today you shall finally be given a true test to your resolve and usefulness to the true Sorvians!" The elf would then stand up as she begins to walk off, "I suppose that answers your former question" she was about to disappear into the rest of the diverse crowd before Leone catches up with her, "Hey wait up! You still haven't given me your name, mine's Leone" she would then offer her hand to the Elf as she simply sighed, "My name, is nothing, come up with something that pleases you." Leone would then begin to think as she smirks, "How about Pointy Ears? Maybe creepy lady or-" the Elf would then interrupt her, "Just call me Iris if you desperately need a name, hearing you spew them out reminds me of a child just learning simple languages…"

Leone would smile as she shakes her hand regardless, making Iris look down at the odd greeting that was all too new to her, "Works for me!" she would then think silently to herself, "The sooner I get out of here, the more time I have to search for everyone…just wait guys, ol' Leone's on the job."

( Next Chapter, Leone vs The System )


End file.
